Video content can be captured and provided in a variety of source formats, resolutions, and aspect ratios. These include, for example, standard definition (SD), high definition (HD), and video graphics array (VGA) formats, along with aspect ratios of 4:3, 16:9, 1.85:1, and 2.39:1, to name just a few. The format in which such content is stored or transmitted, however, may vary from that of the source or provider. For example, older SD video may be re-broadcast as HD, or widescreen content may be recorded on a DVD, both involving format changes. When formats change, scaling algorithms are employed to scale up (or scale down) the video to the expected target resolution. If the aspect ratios of the source and target are different, scaling of the video to fit the target along one dimension will result in either cropping the scaled image or augmenting the image with blank pixels in the other dimension. The latter approach is typically preferred as it retains the entire source content. Generally, the blank pixels appear as bars, either at the sides of the video (pillar-box format) or at the top and bottom of the video (letter-box format). The region of a video frame displaying the actual content (i.e., excluding the blank pixels) is referred to as the active display region.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent in light of this disclosure.